Leaders Focus On Service

CEO: Seminars Introduce Opportunities For Abilities

— Volunteerism does not just help the community, it builds a strong work force.

Almost 200 people learned that message Friday morning during the first of the four-part NWA PerformanceGPA Series.

Adam Arroyos, president and chief executive officer of Grandslam Performance Associates, said he these seminars are designed to show the importance of service and introduce opportunities to attendees.

“We are not just interested in connecting people to volunteer. We want to help maximize their abilities,” he said.

Arroyos started his advisory business specializing in talent management, diversity and inclusion, and strategic-relationship management in October.

“This is an event I came up with through years of serving and seeing the true value of that service,” he said. “This is my way of giving back.”

Arroyos is providing the seminars free of charge and working with business leaders in each of the region’s four largest cities to be hosts. One will be held each quarter and will move next to Bentonville or Rogers and end the year in Fayetteville.

The kickoff event was held at the Tyson corporate headquarters in Springdale. Donnie Smith, Tyson CEO, gave the keynote address.

"We are not just interested in connecting people to volunteer work. We want to maximize ability. It's about honing in and growing your talent."

Adam Arroyos

President and chief executive officer of Grandslam Performance Associates

Smith said service is “baked into the fabric of Tyson.”

Tyson is involved with food banks and hunger issues across the globe on a corporate level, but Smith said employees also plugged into the community.

“You would be surprised at how little senior management has to encourage workers to help,” he said.

Volunteerism has helped build leadership skills.

During a panel discussion community leaders shared challenges and opportunities within Springdale.

David Van Bebber, Tyson general counsel, moderated a panel consisting of Doug Sprouse, Springdale mayor; Jim Rollins, superintendent of Springdale Public Schools; and Ed Clifford, CEO of the Jones Trust.

Sprouse encouraged attendees to get involved with city boards and commissions and to consider running for public office.

“We are trying to spread that service attitude,” he said.

Rollins said there are many ways people can get involved with the school district through committees.

Creating and maintaining a strong school system requires public support, Rollins said. “We can’t do it by ourselves, but in our great community we don’t have to,” he said.

The Jones Trust touches the lives of 3.5 million people each year, Clifford said. The Jones Center in Springdale is a visible part of the trust’s work, but it also includes work through 90 not-for-profit organizations affiliated through the Centers for Nonprofits at the JTL Shops at St. Mary’s.

“We approach service by brining people together and letting them interact,” he said.

Arroyos said his business is putting together a website, serve2perform.com, designed to connect people to service areas that will help both the receiving agency and the volunteer.

“We are not just interested in connecting people to volunteer work. We want to maximize ability,” he said. “It’s about honing in and growing your talent.”

He hopes to have the first phase on the website in operation by the second session slated for sometime in April.

The seminars are something Arroyos hopes he can expand to other parts of the country in future years.

A goal is to get people to get people to view volunteer service in a different light.

“You are honing in on skills and think what that will do when you take it back to your work force,” he said. “We call it a serve-to-perform connection.”

Web Watch

Video

A video of Friday’s first NWA PeformanceGPA Series will be available on the Grandslam Performance Associates website Monday. Go to www.performancegpa.com.

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